Instagram has announced that it’s introducing a suite of new tools to help support the income of creators on the app.
In an April 22 statement shared on the platform, Instagram announced that there are now over 2 million creator subscriptions on the app.
What are Instagram subscriptions?
Similar to platforms like Substack and OnlyFans, Instagram subscriptions grant creators the ability to create exclusive content for followers at a monthly subscription rate. The platform has been offering a subscription model since 2022.
As Instagram puts it, subscriptions help to generate “recurring, predictable income and build community with their most engaged followers.”
What’s changed for Instagram subscriptions?
One thing Instagram is introducing is “sticker tap insight,” which allows creators to see just how much engagement their “subscribe” stickers are drawing.
Another is the “stories teaser,” which notifies non-subscribers when you’ve posted exclusive, subscriber-only content and encourages them to subscribe.
Other new updates include enhanced measures to protect exclusive content from screen recording and screenshots, as well as more guidance on best practices for creators.
What’s the context?
These new updates, which have already taken effect, come after a fraught month for Instagram, with more than 100 political creators signing an open letter calling out the app for automatically limiting political content on the platform.
Perhaps the platform is hoping that these new creator tools will usher in some good will, but either way, Instagram probably doesn’t have much to worry about. Recent data shows that the platform makes more in advertising than YouTube, one of its biggest competitors.
